A lot happened in 1972. Don McLean’s hit song “American Pie” was No. 1, Richard Nixon was president, and his administration was trying to cover up the Watergate Scandal. NASA’s Space Shuttle program officially began, and Bob Barker started hosting a new game show called *The Price is Right*, where he gave away brand new cars valued at less than $4,000.
Bob Barker became synonymous with *The Price is Right*, hosting the popular game show for 35 years and becoming an entertainment icon known across generations.
This year, Barker is celebrating his 100th birthday.
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Bob Barker grew up on an Indian reservation in South Dakota and is a member of the Sioux Tribe. He met his future wife, Dorothy Jo Gideon, at an Ella Fitzgerald concert. They married in 1945, while Barker was on leave from the United States Navy Reserve, where he trained as a fighter pilot during World War II. Although he never served on active duty, he went back to university and graduated with a degree in economics.
Now 99, Barker was hosting a radio show in Los Angeles when game show producer Ralph Edwards noticed him. Edwards was looking for a new host for *Truth or Consequences*, the first game show broadcast on TV. Barker hosted the popular show from 1956 to 1975. His popularity grew, and in 1967, he began hosting the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants.
In 1972, Barker started hosting *The Price is Right*, which made both him and the show incredibly famous.
*The Price is Right* became the longest-running game show in history, a title it still holds. Barker, who became the show’s executive producer in 1988, won 14 Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Game Show Host and four Emmys as executive producer.
In a 2008 interview with the Television Academy Foundation, Barker credited his late wife, Dorothy Jo Gideon, for his successful career. He said, “She gave me the confidence to even try to do what I set out to do. She didn’t just urge me on; she worked right at my side.”
Dorothy Jo died of lung cancer in 1981 at the age of 57, after 36 years of marriage. Barker said, “I never had any inclination to remarry. She was my wife.”
However, Barker did find another partner, Nancy Burnet, who has been with him for 40 years. Nancy credits Barker’s good health to his limited use of medication.
Just before his 99th birthday in December, Nancy, now 79, told Fox News Digital, “He’s going to be 99, and he takes one prescription medication, and that’s for his thyroid. When health care providers ask for a list of his medications, I just show them the bottle. That’s it. He doesn’t take anything for blood pressure, cholesterol, or the many other things most people take as they get older.”
Nancy added, “He’s in very good health for his age, and his humor is still in good shape. He’s had a very charmed life.”
But things haven’t always been easy for Bob Barker.
In 1999, he noticed his hand felt clumsy and had surgery to fix a partially blocked artery to reduce the risk of stroke. In 2002, he had a stroke and later underwent prostate surgery. As a sun lover, he’s had several mild skin cancer cases, suffered a series of falls requiring hospital visits, and dealt with major back problems.
Nancy Burnet stepped in to help. She added supplements to Barker’s diet to boost his strength. “It wasn’t to replace meals but to enhance everything,” she said. “He wasn’t doing well, looking tired and frail. If you’re going to be a vegetarian and vegan, you better know what you’re doing.”
After retiring from *The Price is Right*, now hosted by comedian Drew Carey, Barker has made a few guest appearances, including one in 2013 to celebrate his 90th birthday.
Nancy Burnet said about Bob Barker’s time on The Price is Right, “He never got tired of it. I don’t know if I could do the same show every day, but he never got bored. Maybe that’s why the show was so successful—he was always excited to do it.”
Barker shared similar feelings on Good Morning America in 2007. He said, “I’m really not ready to say goodbye, but I think it’s a good time to leave because I want to leave them wanting more.”
He left with many great memories, like when Vanna White appeared on the show before she became famous on Wheel of Fortune, and the funny moments when female contestants lost their tops from jumping up and down in excitement.
But the most important thing for Barker was that the show gave him a platform to raise awareness about animal welfare. He’s also known for his animal rights advocacy and his famous catchphrase, “This is Bob Barker reminding you to help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered.”
Bob Barker credits his late wife, Dorothy Jo Gideon, as the inspiration for his work in animal activism. He told *Good Morning America*, “She was ahead of her time. She stopped wearing fur coats before it was popular, became a vegetarian before it was trendy, and I gradually followed her lead.”
Through his DJ&T Foundation, named after Gideon and his mother, Matilda (“Tilly”), both of whom loved animals, Barker has donated millions. The foundation has helped set up animal rights programs at top law schools like Harvard, Columbia, and Northwestern.
Barker said in a 2015 interview with the Associated Press, “If young people learn about the mistreatment of animals, it will influence them in everything they do. When education and encouragement aren’t enough, we need legislation.”
Nancy Burnet, whom Barker met at an animal adoption event he hosted in 1983, shares his passion for animal advocacy and also campaigns against animal entertainment.
What an incredible century! In his almost 100 years, Bob Barker has had a huge influence on the world. We are so fortunate to have such passionate people like Barker, a paragon of power who uses his celebrity status to help innocent animals!